Uber hikes fare in two categories for NCR

The fare has been increased from Rs 6 per km to Rs 12 per km for UberGo and from Rs 9 to Rs 13 for UberX. The new rates will apply only after 20 km of a trip is over.Rumu Banerjee | TNN | Updated: October 14, 2016, 18:08 IST

Taxi aggregator Uber has announced a fare hike in a mail sent to its users in Delhi NCR. The new tariff is for trips beyond 20km in the UberGo and UberX categories. The fare has been increased from Rs 6 per km to Rs 12 per km for UberGo and from Rs 9 to Rs 13 for UberX. The new rates will apply only after 20 km of a trip is over.

“To ensure a reliable ride when you are travelling long distances within Delhi NCR, we’re introducing a revised fare structure,” the mail said. “The change aims at ensuring you get a ride when you need one by providing fair earnings for our driver-partners. After the first 20km, you will be charged Rs 12/km on UberGo and Rs 13/km on UberX.” The fare structure for UberPool remains the same, said a company official.

The hike will impact commuters. A trip from Sector 18 in Noida to central Delhi localities like Karol Bagh or Rajouri Garden is over 20km while a trip from Connaught Place to anywhere in Gurgaon is more than 25km. And a trip from Noida to Gurgaon is even more.

Anyone travelling from Delhi to any NCR locality will feel the pinch.

“While there is a marginal increase in pricing, we’re still the most affordable ride in the city,” claimed Uber in the mail. “At some point, the company has to cut down on the deep discounting. At present, incentives are being provided to the driver but that is not a policy that can be continued for long,” said an industry insider.

Company officials argued that the revised fares were “still cheaper than other radio taxi services available”. Uber had introduced the hiked fares in other cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore earlier. A company official also pointed out that its competition was already charging the same fare in other cities.